|
THE
NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS'
SELF-HELP CLEARINGHOUSE
1211 CHESTNUT STREET
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19107
PHONE: (800) 553-4539
FAX: (215) 636-6312
E-MAIL: info@mhselfhelp.org
Fighting Stigma
by Susan Rogers
Funded
by the Community Support Program of CMHS
The Center for Mental Health Services.
The Random
House Dictionary defines "stigma" as "a
blemish on one's record or reputation." Such a stigma
affects anyone who has a psychiatric history.
There are myths
that have become part of American "folklore" that
contribute to this stigma. The main ones are (1 ) that people
with mental illness are violent and (2) that people with
mental illness don't recover. So, to fight stigma, the two
major messages to communicate are that these myths are false
-- that (1) statistics show that "mental disorders ...
account for a minuscule portion of the violence that afflicts
American society," according to a statement issued by the
National Stigma Clearinghouse; and that (2) people with mental
illness do recover, and return to their communities to lead
productive lives.
There are many
ways we all can fight stigma. The simplest way is to
"come out of the closet" and present "positive
visibility" in the community and the media. Positive
visibility is loosely translated as "your best foot
forward." When you let people in your community know that
you, who have been leading a blameless life right next door,
have a mental illness, it will make them question and (we
hope) ultimately reject the stigmatizing myths.
Following are some
other suggestions about how you and your group can fight
stigma.
Using the Media
The media too
often focuses on the most negative aspects of anything,
in order to sensationalize it. (They think it sells more
papers, attracts more viewers, whatever -- and they're
probably right.) Cases in point are the portrayal of mental
patients as "psychopathic" killers on such shows as
"Hill Street Blues" and the late, unlamented
"Jessie" and as buffoons on other shows, e.g.,
"Night Court." Other examples include the
sensationalized coverage of such tragic -- and extremely rare
-- incidents as the 1985 Springfield Mall shooting in Delaware
County, Pennsylvania, when a woman with a psychiatric history
named Sylvia Seegrist killed three people and injured seven
others. The point to make is that such tragic incidents are extremely
rare.
You can use the
media to get our messages across to the general public. There
are a number of avenues for doing this, such as appearing on
talk shows, taping a public service announcement, or getting
interviewed by your local newspaper.
Contact local
television and radio talk shows and suggest that they do a
show on a topic concerning mental illness. Such topics,
particularly concerning homeless people who have mental
illnesses, are hot right now, so you have a good likelihood of
getting on. Offer your most articulate group member as a
guest.
Studies have shown
that the way to counter negative stereotypes is not to discuss
them but to replace them with positive images. In other words,
"I'm not here to discuss Sylvia Seegrist but to talk
about the thousands of mental health consumers who lead
productive lives." Don't you bring up Sylvia
Seegrist (or similar incidents) if the interviewer doesn't.
In order to
counteract these negative images, it's good to be as positive
as possible when dealing with the press or appearing on
television or radio. In interviews, stress examples of people
with mental disabilities who have overcome their problems and
are "making it" in the community. You yourself
are such an example. Tell your "story." Talk
about how you were helped by the self-help/advocacy movement.
Remember: No
matter what they ask you, you can still get your message out.
If the interviewer asks a question you don't want to answer,
you can give the question short shrift and then switch the
focus to what you do want to say. (You might say
something like, "That's an interesting question, but did
you know that. . ." and then get your point out.) If the
interviewer asks a question you don't know the answer to, say
you don't know but that you will find out and get back to them
later. (This works better in print interviews than on TV or
radio, naturally.)
Let's say the
interviewer is asking about the Galioto
case -- a case argued before the Supreme Court in which the
National Mental Health Consumers' Association filed an amicus
brief. (This case revolved around the fact that, until
recently, people with psychiatric histories were denied the
right to own guns under any circumstances, although convicted
felons had the right to have their cases reviewed. The law has
since been changed so that this is no longer true.) Let's say
the interviewer asks, "Isn't it dangerous to allow mental
patients to have guns?" Naturally, you should make the
point that studies have shown that there is only a weak link
between mental illness and violence. (Be prepared to cite
these studies if you are challenged.) But don't get involved
in defending the position that people with mental illnesses
should be allowed to have guns. The real issue, you would tell
the interviewer, is that people with psychiatric histories
should have the same rights as all other citizens. That is, if
the Supreme Court denies them the same right of review as a
convicted felon, it would set a dangerous precedent, so that
soon they might be denied other rights. Guns are not the
issue; rights are.
Another key to a
successful interview is to have a few colorful phrases
memorized -- lines that get your message out and are also
exciting, so that the interviewer will want to use them. I
have heard people at demonstrations giving interviewers long
involved explanations of what was going on, the history of the
conflict, etc. This is great for background, to educate the
reporter about the issues -- but what the radio stations use
on the air is the next person's comment, "We are here to
demand our rights!" So phrase your comments to the press
in 15-second, quotable "sound bites."
For example, a
good, lively phrase is "the last civil rights
movement." More and more people have been using this
phrase in interviews to describe the consumer movement, and it
has been quoted in articles around the country.
If you are being
interviewed as a representative of your group or organization
and you offer certain opinions that are not those of the group
or organization, make sure you identify them as your own
opinions.
Don't forget to
identify your group or organization, and arrange in advance to
have its name, address and phone number flashed on the screen,
or repeated over the radio, or printed in the newspaper. (If
it's impossible to get all this information out, at least make
sure the name of the group and the city it is located in are
identified, so people can find it through Directory
Assistance.) You can thus use the media to publicize the
existence of your organization, so that you can strengthen it
by attracting new members.
Don't forget that
a picture is worth a thousand words. If you are on television
or sitting across from a reporter and are well-dressed with
your hair neatly combed and your best foot forward, so to
speak, this goes a long way toward convincing an audience that
we are human. The next time someone wants to open a halfway
house in their neighborhood, for example, maybe they'll
remember you and let it happen. That's really what positive
visibility boils down to.
More Media Tips
(Editor's
Note: The following seven tips were prepared by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, Boston, Massachusetts.)
- Avoid answering the reporter's
questions on the first telephone call. It's to your
advantage to have a few minutes to gather your thoughts
and clarify the message you want to send; otherwise you
may phrase something in a way you did not intend. If a
reporter catches you off-guard on the telephone, just say,
"I'm in the middle of something right now. What
information do you need?" After the reporter gives
you that information, say, "Fine, let me wrap this up
and I'll call you back in 10 minutes." And do call
them right back. Delays tend to make a reporter wonder if
you're hiding something.
- Stick to answering only the
questions for which you are prepared. You shouldn't be
afraid to say, "I don't know, but I'll be happy to
check that out and get back to you." Then be prompt
in getting that answer, or direct the reporter to the
person who does have the answer.
- Don't make
"off-the-record" comments. If you don't want it
broadcast or in print, don't say it. It is very possible
that there could be conftusion between you and the
reporter as to what's on and off the record. [Journalistic
ethics require that it you identify a comment as "off
the record" before you say it -- afterwards doesn't
count -- a reporter may not use it. But mistakes do
happen.]
- Make your point in 15 seconds
or less. Anything longer and the reporter will have to
edit your answers.
- Be precise and avoid jargon.
Generalities can be misinterpreted. Use specific examples
that clarify and make the audience care about your point
of view. Speak in terms the general public will
understand.
- Don't let the reporter put
words in your mouth. If a reporter says, "So you're
saying . . ." answer with, "I'm saying . .
." and, in a friendly way, restate your position.
- Take time to educate the
reporter. Reporters are often sent out on a story with
little background information on the topic. They won't be
offended by a friendly briefing on what has transpired to
date; they'll appreciate it.
Community Service
Your group should
volunteer its services in the community in some substantive
way. For example, you can volunteer in hospitals or public
park clean-up units, or to collect and sort trash for
recycling, or to visit shut-ins or read to the blind, or in
any number of other worthwhile efforts. And when you make it
known that you are a group of mental health consumers --
people with mental illnesses -- who are performing this
service and people get to know you as good citizens of their
community, this goes a long way toward fighting stigma.
Media Watch
Everyone should be
on the lookout for stigmatizing stories, cartoons, editorials,
movies, television shows, even greeting cards -- that is,
anything in the media that portrays people with mental illness
in a negative light. Then write letters, and get everyone you
know to write letters, protesting such stigmatizing material.
For example, in
July 1987, the Atlantic published a piece of short
fiction called "Inn Essence" by Ralph Lombreglia.
The story was about a man who had just been released from a
mental hospital and was working as a chef, who attacked
several of the restaurant's workers with a carving knife. We
wrote to the magazine, stating the point that people with
mental illnesses are no more violent than the general public,
and that this myth makes it difficult for us to live in the
community.* The Atlantic published the letter in
November, along with a response from Mr. Lombreglia, in which
he said that we had a good point and he regretted any offense
he had given. Ideally, every time anything like this appears,
the perpetrator should be flooded with letters. When the media
understand that they can't get away with this anymore, they'll
stop.
*Editor's Note: In
1987, the most recent research indicated this. However, more
recent studies (most notably, the MacArthur
study) have shown that, when you factor out drugs and
alcohol, there is only a weak link between mental illness and
violence.
Pie-in-the-Face
and Pie-a-la-Mode Citations
When your group
identifies particularly horrible examples of stigmatizing,
sensationalized coverage of mental health issues, or
particularly good coverage, you can condemn or congratulate
the perpetrators, appropriately. For example, the Mental
Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania called
attention to the issue of stigma by issuing Pie-in-the-Face
and Pie-a-la-Mode awards. (Pie was actually an acronym,
PI&E for Public Information
and Education.) PI&E-a-la-mode recipients
(good guys) received a framed citation and an apple pie;
PI&E-in-the-face recipients (bad guys) got a framed
citation and a lemon meringue pie, with instructions on
applying it.
Your group can
issue such awards, then do a press release, which will kill
two birds with one stone: You will make the point that the
media should not stigmatize people diagnosed mentally ill, and
you may get some positive publicity for your group.
Respond to TV
Editorials
When a
Philadelphia TV station ran an editorial suggesting that
Pennsylvania should broaden its commitment laws, we
immediately wrote an editorial contradicting this position,
backing up our points with facts, and contacted the station
manager. Within days, we were invited to the station to tape
an editorial response, which was aired several times over the
next week. (TV editorials and responses are roughly 200 words;
they must be read in a minute and a half or less. Time yours
before submitting it.)
Damage Control
When someone with
a psychiatric history commits a crime, the newspapers always
run long, sensationalized accounts with headlines like
"Mental Patient Runs Amok." When this happens, your
group can gear up for a media blitz, stressing the point that,
when you factor out drugs and alcohol, there is only a weak
link between mental illness and violence.
For example, after
the mall shooting (described above), Project SHARE mobilized
its forces. We contacted the Philadelphia Inquirer the
major Philadelphia daily) and arranged for a reporter and
photographer to visit our group. The Inquirer ran an
excellent story under the headline "Group fears public
will link mental illness, violence," and made the point
that such a link would be inaccurate (which was the
state-of-the-art knowledge at the time). Within days of the
event, we also appeared on newscasts of all three major TV
stations and on a couple of talk shows. Besides fighting
stigma, the publicity attracted people interested in our
group.
If there is time,
write a press release with lots of pithy quotes in response to
whatever the situation is and send it to reporters. But if
this is not possible, don't hesitate to call radio stations,
TV stations, newspapers, etc., ask for the reporter who's
covering the story, tell them that you have something to say
about the subject and ask if they would like a quote from you
as a representative of your group. For example, when the
closing of Philadelphia State Hospital was announced, we at
Project SHARE called the newspapers, wire services, and radio
and TV stations and asked, "Would you like some input
from a former mental patients about the closing of the state
hospital?" Many did.
Before calling,
write out a two-or three-sentence quote; this way, if they do
want a quote, you'll be prepared and won't have to fumble for
words.
Public Service
Announcements
Radio and
television stations are required to run public service
announcements (PSAs), which are "commercials" for
services or causes of some sort. They may range from 10
seconds to about a minute in length. You can videotape a PSA
about your group -- if you don't have the equipment or the
expertise to do this yourselves, you can ask professionals to
donate their services. (Many will do work of this kind pro
bono publico [for the good of the public].)
Contact the
station manager at a local station and ask if they will run
your PSA. The PSA might include a couple of members of your
group talking about how they have been hospitalized for
psychiatric illness, and that it is important to bring these
issues out of the closet, in order to fight stigma. You can
talk about the fact that people with mental illnesses are
organizing, mention the name of your group and where and when
it meets, and give a phone number for information.
Mental Health
Players
Your group can
form a Mental Health Player troupes, which is an excellent
community education tool. The players are an improvisational
theater group that can perform in churches, schools, or other
community gatherings.
It works like
this: The actors perform a few five-minute sketches to
dramatize problems that people may face. For example, one
sketch that is often performed by various players troupes
shows two people visiting their neighbor, who has just
returned home after six months in a mental hospital. The
visitors at first pretend to be welcoming the neighbor back;
but they grow increasingly hostile as the visit progresses,
demanding to know if the neighbor had had shock treatment or
perhaps a lobotomy, and asking how long he was planning to
remain in the neighborhood, since there were a lot of children
living there. Their host tries in vain to reassure them that
he is no threat to their children or their property values.
Another sketch
might show a man returning to work after psychiatric
hospitalization, and having the personnel director interview
him.
After each sketch,
the narrator invites the audience to question the performers,
who respond in character, giving the answers the characters
might have given. This often makes the audience confront their
own prejudices, since the prejudices expressed by the
characters give the audience permission to express their own.
Then, when the performance has concluded, the players
"unmask," identifying themselves. The audience then
realizes that some of the views expressed, for instance by the
visitors in the "Returning Mental Patient" sketch,
are ignorant; if they agreed with these opinions, they have
some serious thinking to do about their own ideas.
Players troupe
exist around the country, and often include mental health
professionals and other volunteers. However, while the Mental
Health Players fight stigma through the information the
audience grasps by watching the sketches, the Players are even
more effective when the troupe members are consumers
themselves. For example, when the Project SHARE players have
identified themselves as consumers, some audiences have
audibly gasped.
For more
information about how to start a Players troup, contact the
Mental Health Association in New Jersey, 60 S. Fullerton
Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042, which has a manual on this
subject.
Editorial Board
Meetings
Write to the
editorial board of your local newspaper and request a meeting.
Bring press kits -- clippings about your group, a brochure, a
newsletter, whatever you have. You can also bring clippings
about the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help
Clearinghouse and our brochures, to show that your group is in
the context of a national movement. Your local paper may not
be aware there is a consumer movement; it's time they found
out.
Often, stigma is
perpetuated through ignorance. It may be news to the editors
of your newspaper that people with psychiatric histories are
living productive lives in the community. How are they going
to find out if you don't tell them?
You will also have
an opportunity to educate them about the issues. For example,
after the Philadelphia Inquirer ran some bad editorials
about the proposed changes in the Pennsylvania commitment
laws, Project SHARE met with the Inquirer editorial
board and supplied them with some information, such as the
testimony from Professor Mary Durham about the disastrous
effects that broadening the Washington State commitment laws
had on the state's mental health system. Shortly thereafter,
the Inquirer ran a balanced editorial, and quoted from
the Durham testimony.
Write Articles
and Op-Ed Pieces
Newspapers run
"guest editorials," or articles on issues in the
news, opposite their editorial page. You can write such an
article; and submit it to the Op-Ed Editor of your newspaper,
for possible publication.
You can also write
articles for other local magazines and newspapers. (First,
call or write for their editorial guidelines -- that is, the
rules they want contributors to follow [such as double-spaced
copy, margins of a certain width, etc.].)
Cable TV Shows
If your area has
cable TV, write to some of the stations and suggest an idea
for a show on mental health issues. You may end up hosting it.
Demonstrations
and Protests
One way to fight
stigma and educate the public is through staging an event,
such as a demonstration or a protest. For example, at
Alternatives '88, we staged a candlelight vigil against stigma
on the steps of the Utah state capitol. Some 300 people, most
of whom were consumers, attended. We had publicized it well,
through ads in the entertainment sections of the two Salt Lake
City dailies (since we had arranged for folk singers to
entertain) and a press release to Utah newspapers, TV stations
and radio stations. Two nights before, we mentioned the vigil
on a local talk show. We also handed out flyers about the
event.
The press release
won us articles in both local dailies. The Salt Lake City Tribune
article appeared the morning of the vigil, and the mention of
the event attracted additional participants from the
community. The vigil itself received excellent TV coverage.
Writing a Press
Release
A press release is
like a little newspaper article. In fact, a small newspaper
may decide to run it word for word. It should be roughly 300
words -- no more than 400 to 500 words; (there are roughly 250
to 300 words on a 8-1/2 x 11. page, double spaced). Press
releases must be typewritten, and should be on your group's
letterhead (if your group doesn't have a letterhead, type your
group's name and address at the top). Under this, type,
"For Immediate Release," and list at least one
contact person, with this person's phone number. Then make
sure this phone is covered, either by the contact person or an
answering machine -- and return calls promptly.
For the
candlelight vigil against stigma in Salt Lake City, our press
release started off like this:
MENTAL PATIENTS*
STAGE DEMONSTRATION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND TO KICK OFF NATIONAL
CONFERENCE
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Mental patients from all over the
country will demonstrate against the stigma of mental illness
on the south steps of the Utah state capitol on Wednesday,
August 3,at 7 p.m.
"Mental patients face discrimination and rejection in
every area of their lives," said Joe Rogers, President of
the National Mental Health Consumers' Association (NMHCA), the
first national organization of present and former mental
patients, which is organizing the event. "We are denied
jobs, housing and insurance. We are mercilessly stereotyped on
television, on the radio, in movies, novels and newspapers.
Now we are sending a strong message to this country that we
refuse to be treated as second-class citizens any longer.
The press release
continued, talking about Alternatives '88 and the national
consumer movement. (Notice that the date, time and place of
the event that we were publicizing were in the first
paragraph.) Your press release must get to the point
immediately, since busy editors may not read past the first
paragraph.
* Editor's Note:
When this press release was written (in 1988), we were using
the phrase "mental patients" because we felt it was
the most communicative and might capture the attention of the
press more easily than a phrase such as "mental health
consumers," which would need an explanation. Now,
however, we have moved toward such phrases as "people
with mental illnesses," "people with psychiatric
histories," or "people with mental
disabilities," rather than "mental patients,"
which some people find stigmatizing.
Other Weapons
Against Stigma
Two excellent ways
to fight stigma are through publishing a newsletter and
organizing a speakers' bureau. For more information, see
"How to Develop a Consumer-Run Our Sponsors "* and
Organizing and Operating a Speakers' Bureau. Both of these Technical
Assistance Pamphlets are published by the National Mental
Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse.
*Editor's Note:
This particular pamphlet is geared toward people who do not
have access to a computer. However, there are many excellent
guides to publishing a newsletter, some of which are available
on the Web.
Speaking for
Ourselves
Not very long ago,
many mental health advocacy organizations used the slogan
"Speaking for those who cannot speak for
themselves." The consumer movement has changed that. As
more and more of us are out there, speaking for ourselves in
judicial and legislative forums, on boards and committees,
before groups in the community and professional organizations,
through our own articles and letters in newspapers and
magazines, in our own newsletters, on television and radio and
in the print media -- or even to our neighbors -- we are
fighting stigma. And we must.
FIGHT
STIGMA!
References
- <Channels (monthly
newsletter), Public Relations Society of America, Inc.,
845 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
- A Communications Manual for
Non-Profits (1981), by Lucille Maddalena, American
Management Associations, AMACOM Division, 135 W. 50th
Street, New York, NY 10020.
- Guide to Public Relations
for Nonprofit Organizations and Public Agencies
(1977), Grantsmanship Center, 1031 S. Grand Avenue, Los
Angeles, CA 90015.
- If You Want Air Time
(1982), National Association of Broadcasters, 1771
"N" Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036.
- Publicity Guide for
Fundraisers (1981), by J.M. Williams, Training for
Living Press, Mattituck, NY 11952.
- Public Relations Guides for
Nonprofit Organizations, Foundation for Public Relations,
575 Madison Avenue, Suite 1006, New York, NY 10022.
- Successful Public Relations
Techniques, Public Management Institute, 333 Hayes
Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.
- We Interrupt This Program .
. . A Citizen 's Guide to Using the Media for Social
Change, by Robbie Gordon, Citizen Involvement Training
Project, Cooperative Extension Service, University of
Massachusetts at Amherst
|
